Politico is reporting that a group of leading telecommunications corporations has announced that they are forming a privacy coalition to "focus on updating U.S. privacy and data security laws."

Among the 21st Century Privacy Coalition members are Verizon, AT&T, Comcast and the United States Telecom Association, and "will be headed by former Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP and former U.S. Representative Mary Bono Mack of FaegreBD Consulting."

The telecoms were later granted immunity for their involvement with the dragnet surveillance.

Now, in the wake of new and ongoing revelations of NSA spying brought to light by whistleblower Edward Snowden, some of these same telecoms are apparently interested in "privacy" and "better serv[ing] consumer expectations."

The newest revelation, which exposes bulk collection of internet metadata by the NSA initiated by George W. Bush and continued under Obama administration for two years, is a "vindication" for AT&T whistleblower Mark Klein.

Digital rights groups Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) sued AT&T and used Klein's "undisputed evidence" to show that that the firm was "diverting Internet traffic into the hands of the NSA wholesale, in violation of federal wiretapping laws and the Fourth Amendment."

On today's exposure that the NSA did in fact collect internet metadata in bulk from 2001-2011, Klein told Wired in a telephone interview, “This is a complete vindication.”

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Further

Lord, what would John Lennon have made of the Trump monster? Marking Thursday's 36th anniversary of Lennon's murder, Yoko Ono posted a plea for gun control, calling his death "a hollowing experience" and pleading, "Together, let's bring back America, the green land of Peace." With so many seeking solace in these ugly times, mourns one fan, "Oh John, you really should be here." Lennon conceded then, and likely would now, "Reality leaves a lot to the imagination."